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Five Mile Act
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Five Mile Act

British history
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Quick Summary

The Five Mile Act was enacted in England in 1665 as part of the Clarendon Code. This legislation prohibited any minister who had been ejected from their position from living or visiting within five miles of a corporate town or any place where they had previously served. The purpose of this act, along with others in the Clarendon Code, was to suppress Nonconformists, or Dissenters, who did not adhere to the Church of England. While the Toleration Act of 1689 eased some restrictions for dissenting Protestants, the Five Mile Act remained in effect until the 19th century.123

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. Protestantism - The Restoration (1660–85)
  2. Clarendon Code
  3. Toleration Act

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